Bangladesh cannot achieve its goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy without bringing women into the mainstream of economic activities, State Minister-2 for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said.
Women make up more than half of the country's population, and overall development is impossible if they are left behind, she said, stressing the need for inclusive growth that ensures equal opportunities for women across all regions.
She made the remarks as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the three-day National SME Women Entrepreneurs Summit and Product Fair 2026 at the Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, on Saturday.
Held under the slogan “A prosperous Bangladesh of tomorrow through the progress of women entrepreneurs”, the summit began on Thursday with 60 stalls.
Shama said women entrepreneurs did not need special privileges or preferential treatment but wanted equal opportunities and their rightful share of support.
“The time should come when we no longer need to use the word ‘women’ before entrepreneurs,” she said, adding that genuine economic freedom would come only when equal rights and opportunities were ensured for both men and women.
She cited examples of women making nakshi kantha in Jessore, producing shataranji in Rangpur and running online food businesses in Chittagong. Many, however, struggle to expand their ventures due to limited access to marketing channels, new markets, financing and institutional support.
She called for an integrated support framework to address these barriers.
The state minister said the foreign ministry was working to help women entrepreneurs access international markets. Bangladesh's 81 diplomatic missions abroad have been instructed to identify potential markets and assess demand for products made by local women entrepreneurs.
The missions will identify overseas demand for Bangladeshi products and help connect entrepreneurs with prospective buyers, she said.
She also plans to showcase products made by women entrepreneurs to foreign diplomats, ministers and representatives visiting the foreign ministry. A dedicated space could be arranged at the ministry to display their products, she said, urging entrepreneurs to coordinate with the SME Foundation and the Ministry of Industries to take the initiative forward.
Shama said the current budget placed importance on the creative economy, which includes culture, arts, photography, films, theatre, dance, jute products, cosmetics and jewellery. Women make significant contributions to these sectors, she said, adding that Bangladesh should use the creative economy to promote local products in international markets.
Highlighting the importance of education, she said the government had taken initiatives to provide free education from primary to graduate level for girls from economically disadvantaged families. Efforts were also underway to bring girls back to school and prevent child marriage.
Shama, who described herself as a small entrepreneur, said every woman entrepreneur had a story of struggle and success that deserved to be shared with the country's 170 million people to inspire the next generation of girls to become self-reliant.
She said the Foreign Ministry would work to identify new markets, facilitate financing and improve access to bank loans and other support for women entrepreneurs. She also urged them to contact the ministry whenever they needed assistance, including with entering international markets.
Earlier, Shama honoured eight women entrepreneurs from different divisions at the summit and later visited the exhibition stalls.
The award recipients were Sagufta Sultana from Dhaka, Manjulika Chakma from Chittagong, Shantana from Sylhet, Hena Khatun from Mymensingh, Afroza Aziz Munni from Rajshahi, Umme Kulsum Popy from Rangpur, Bilkis Ahmed Lily from Barisal and Mariam Nargis from Khulna.
Officials from the Ministry of Industries and the SME Foundation, including the foundation's secretary, attended the event.